From Nabradia, With Love
by O' Clock . Nine
Summary: A woman was encountered in the Barheim Passage and wants to join the group. With some help, she leads them out and leaves only to return and wanting to stick with them. Read as their journey unfolds! Eventual BalthierxOC
1. Prologue

**I ought to thank TogetherAtLast for giving me the inspiration to write a Final Fantasy XII story. Her own piece, _Hunting the Sky_, is the one responsible for this inspiration, really. Thank you TAL! By the way, if you are looking for some humor, love and mystery, you have to read her story, which is also BalthierxOC! Okay! Moving on!**

**Chapter Title: _The Prologue _/ Still in Here  
Description: A woman was encountered in the Barheim Passage, and the party is soon to find out who she is.  
Warning: None at the moment  
Characters: Barheim Passage Party, Burrough, Kirit, and a random, yet important, merchant  
Disclaimer: All characters and settings in this story belongs to the creators who made this awesome game, except for my character and the random, yet important, merchant.**

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_The Bazaar was as lively as ever; shoes and sandals clattering on the paved ground, occasionally stepping on one other's but no one seemed to mind… though a curse slipped here and there for those who owned a pair of worn-out sandals or was trampled on by a Seeq. A wooden crate fell onto a Bangaa's foot and his companion snorted in amusement as the other cursed loudly. A woman quickly clamped her hands over a wandering child's ears. The Bangaa noticed this and apologized profusely, foot still throbbing in pain. On the other side of the busy place, a stall was unfortunate in getting no consumers…_

_But this was what he wanted._

_He had been intently glaring daggers at whoever dared to skitter near his pile of starfruits._

_Starfruits were a delicacy that was grown deep in the Westersand and obviously look like stars if you cut them in half and are ironically colored yellow. They were supposed to be used in champagnes, but the people of Rabanastre had found an important use of it. Potions. Their juices would be squeezed and mixed with honey, strange, yes, but useful._

_He had a box of them on the stall and a couple more under the canvas for protection from the sweltering heat. The merchant would occasionally sprinkle them with water and resume his glaring once the fruits were cooled._

_While the bystanders wondered who had stuck a stick up his ass, the merchant knew who had done so, but not exactly. There were times when he would look away from his stall for a few second only to return and realize that a box of starfruits were missing and was replaced by a fairly weighted bag of Gils that covered all the expenses. Once when a ball rolled by his stall and he went to pick it up, leaving the box of newly grown yellows behind. He threw the ball gently to its owner, a kid taking part in a street game, and returned to his wooden shop. He let out a silent string of curses as he realized that his box of starfruits were, once again, gone but he spotted a truss of blond hair running toward the stairs to the North End._

_He wanted to catch that boy._

_It was fine for him to pay the merchant the right amount for the box of stolen fruits but the elder wanted to know why the kid was stealing but still paying instead of paying up front._

_As the waiting man thought of some possible reasons, his nose suddenly started to itch. He turned his head to the side and…_

_"A-ACHOO!"_

…_sneezed. He sneezed and turned AWAY from the box to not let germs fly onto it. As this thought slowly processed into his brain, he heard a slight scraping of wood. He panicked and turned to the front of his stall, giving himself a whiplash, and stared._

**-XII-**

_'Well, that was unexpected.'_

A pair of curious eyes looked toward a group forming around a crystal, healing themselves of cuts and sores.

Not a moment ago, there was a loud crash which shook the tired person. Sensing that something had broken, the bystander sighed in hope that someone worthy had came down here. The waiting stranger had been down in the dungeon for awhile, tired and bored. And finally, someone had arrived.

An eyebrow formed an arch as the bystander noticed there was a Viera included in the group. From the stranger's seat on the hard ground, dark eyes stared as they came down the stairs and approached the Bangaa. They had a conservation which was rather boring and it was apparently about getting out of the damp place.

"To smithereens, you say!?" The blue merchant exclaimed and captured the outcast's interest.

The tired Bangaa shook his head and muttered some obscene words under his breath. The hidden person stared at the clueless group, quickly formulating a plan.

"If you are inquiring to get out of here, perhaps I may help you," the bystander finally spoke, drawing their attention to the new voice.

"Pray tell," one of the men spoke in a sultry voice that irritated the stranger a bit. "What is a woman doing in here?"

"Woman or not," she retorted, standing up and walking away from the corner. "I'm still in here."

Now it was the oddly formed group's turn to be curious of the new guest in the confided space. The place was still dark, so they couldn't tell much of her hidden features. Only what they could see is that she was of an average height and had a pole strapped to her back.

"Here," she approached the party, holding out a device of some sorts. When the female guest noticed their confused stares, she explained, " 'Tis a Tube Fuse. It should make the power lines work again."

A boy with blond locks took the item and asked, "Then why haven't you fixed it?"

"I was waiting for you guys."

"You knew we were coming?" A rugged and beaten up man questioned, drawing the woman's attention to him momentarily.

"Nay," she explained again with an exasperated sigh. "I wanted to get out of here with some kind of help, seeing that I'm not talented enough to take all of the monsters in there."

She thumbed toward the closed gate to emphasize her point and they nodded in understanding. The young blond ran up to the power converter and the group below heard a click of the Fuse being installed. There was a loud screech and a clang of metal before electricity crackled, bringing life into the light bulbs. When the kid came back down, the woman turned to the gate switchboard next to her and pressed the large button.

There was an ear shattering bang before the rusty gate creaked open, flakes falling to the ground.

_'Those should be oiled soon.' _The woman closed her eyes tightly and pressed a palm to her forehead in an attempt to stop the bawking of Cockatrices.

Shaking her head, the woman turned back to the group and asked, "Mind if I tag along?"

"Name?" The Viera questioned the other female, speaking for the first time.

"Kirit," She answered without hesitating before asking once more, "And may I ask of yours?"

The young blond went in front and declared with a thumb to his chest, "I'm Vaan. And this is Balthier, Fran… and Basch." He gestured to each of them respectively and added the last with detest on his tongue.

"Pleasure," Kirit inclined her head in greeting. "I shall be just ahead, you best be buying some equipments and items before catching up." She turned to leave but halted rather abruptly. "Ah, Burrough, I almost forgot."

She approached the neglected Bangaa who was starting to nod off and handed him a hefty brown bag.

"Ah, you shouldn't have," he rasped once he saw what was in the bag.

He reached in and took out a bun of bread, eyed it for a second before devouring it slowly. The female only smiled before walking through the arch and leaned on the wall inside it. She closed her eyes and left the group to their business of purchasing items from the oddly formed stall. A few minutes passed in silence save for the occasional clinking of potion bottles and the thunks of the swords being picked up and put back down.

"Well?"

Vaan jumped at the sudden voice, almost dropping the newly purchased Longsword onto his foot. Balthier sighed and shook his head at Vaan's breakout of cold sweat while his partner merely blinked, let alone _budging _from her posture. Basch looked up from his crouched figure nearby a pile of potions. She turned her head back to the light on the other side of the tunnel. She rose an eyebrow and spoke.

"Can I join?"

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**A/N: Well! There you go! Your first chapter of **_**From Nabradia, With Love**_**. This is actually my first fanfiction ever written in this website and anywhere else. O_o;;**

**If you spotted some typos, or are confused about a point in this chapter, review or send me a message, I'll fix/reply as soon as possible. Hope you enjoyed it!**

**Next chapter should be up in a day or two, depending on how many people liked it so far. And… I hope my character isn't too Mary Sue.**


	2. Mimics

**Heya! O' Clock . Nine here! Hopefully you liked the prologue because I have absolutely NO idea how I'm supposed to go on with this. But this I promise, this first chapter is longer than the prologue. Though… I hope this chapter didn't confuse you because as young as I am, I haven't still yet to learn how to control the point of view.**

**Oh! And I want to thank TsumeLover666 and TogetherAtLast (once again) for giving me the enthusiasm to finish the official first chapter of **_**From Nabradia, With Love**_**! Thank you! *waves/flail* Okay. I'm done. Read now.**

**P.S. - I totally know that this chapter was supposed to be up last week or so but I had issues. Forgive me?**

**Chapter Title****: **_**Chapter 1 **_**/ Mimics  
****Description****: Navigating through the Barheim Passage, Vaan noticed something about Kirit as they stopped to rest.  
****Warning****: Confusing statements, to me at least, and a horrible cliffhanger  
****Characters****: Barheim Passage Party, Kirit, and the random, yet important, merchant  
****Disclaimer****: All characters and settings in this story belongs to the creators who made this awesome game, except for my character and the random, yet important, merchant.**

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_"Spill it."_

_A pair of glaring eyes stared into nonchalant ones. The merchant was feeling good today now that he have had caught the thief. Though… It's a strange one. The male thought the kid had blonde hair but when he saw the thief "up close and personal", it was actually white. And he was actually a _she_._

_'_Who have white hair that young anyway?_'_

_He berated himself mentally as he realized that the answer was sitting in front of him._

_'_One, that's for sure._'_

_Stress was the first thing that popped up in his head but a kid should be happy and stress-free. Y'know, skipping in a field of flowers (cactoids) and all that. So he crossed that off his list and thought up another idea. Dye; granted, there was a hair dye of the color white. Narrowing his eyes, the elder crossed that off his shortening list as he realized one thing: the kid is not from Archades. Finally, he settled for waiting for an answer. An eye twitched as he realized that the kid probably glued her lips shut and wasn't planning to open them anytime soon._

_"Alright," the merchant sighed, crossing his arms, but it didn't mean he was going to give up. "At least tell me one thing. How did you get all that Gil? Starfruits are very expensive, y'know."_

_A minute or two passed rather slowly and the older of the two was starting to get uneasy. What if she was actually an assassin, ready to kill him on the spot and take all of her money back? Or if she had a bad incident and actually glued her mouth shut… somehow. He sighed once again for thinking such impossible ideas and looked down to his crossed arms. The kid couldn't be more than 12, and that's saying a lot._

_"It's cheaper from the Mosophoran Highwaste."_

_Almost missing the quickly spoken statement, the merchant drawled, "And?"_

_Hearing no reply from the girl, he looked up to the crate and the girl perched on it. He shuddered as he was fixed on with a pair of narrowed eyes, a proof of anger._

_"I'm doing you some benefit," she snapped rather harshly. "You have competition. Their fruits are cheaper, which means more people would buy from them. Your's are too damn expensive."_

_The male cocked his eyebrow as he heard the swear come from the small child. But her flailing arms almost hit his face as she rambled on._

_"Jeeze. Why do I have to help everyone?! I SWEAR you will be the last person I'll help. Ever."_

_She punctuated her rant with a finger pointed to the elder, which he blinked from the action. The girl growled before stomping off in the distance. He swore he heard another growl from the other before she screamed something unintelligible._

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"Why did you want to join?"

A slender arm quickly lifted a Cypress Pole, its opposing arm held onto the bottom as it was brought down to the metal creature upon the ground. It made contact with a loud metallic crunch before it swaggered and became motionless, its' legs disconnecting themselves from the body.

The female turned to the owner of the voice and found it to be Vaan. They stood in silence and returned their weapons to their respective holster. The rest of the party went on ahead to find the infernal Mimic that is draining the energy from the pipes.

The woman shook her head and replied, "…I thought you didn't mind."

"Well… I'm just curious."

The pirate wannabe sheepishly scratched the back of his head as he glanced to the woman at his side. The lights darkened for a moment before brightening a bit more, but the tunnels were still dim. The party had found and defeated the other Mimic. Around a half hour ago, the group had figured out how to kill the Mimics and stop the energy from draining. The metal creatures usually feed on the power lines rather loudly so it wasn't that hard to find them. Once they were finished with killing it, that is if they found one, either female would cast Blizzard to freeze the sparking pipes.

"We had best be catching up with them, hm?" The older of the two spoke, jerking the boy from his thoughts.

Almost missing the question, he hesitantly answered, "Huh? Oh… Yeah."

Nodding to himself to calm his beating heart, he fell in step with Kirit's stride. For a young woman, her legs are damn long. Not as long as the sky pirate's partner's, of course. But if Vaan had to say something that the two females had in common was would be their hair. Not the type, per se, it would be the color. Though the Hume's was a little brighter than the other's.

"Took your time, eh Vaan?"

The voice made Vaan look up from the ground. They had arrived in a small area, and a gate crystal was nearby. The one who had spoken was Balthier and the Viera was standing next to him.

With an indignant scowl, the boy replied, "Not my fault."

The sky pirate cocked an eyebrow and stated, "I think someone is rubbing off on you, Kirit."

The said female gripped the wall behind her and prepared to sit down, she replied monotonously, "Not my fault."

Blinking twice at the déjà vu, Kirit shrugged and slid down the wall on her back, landing with a soft thump. She want into a daze and zoned out from the conservation between the trio. It was about how the former captain ended up here, apparently. Balthier went near the crystal and Kirit watched uninterested as the life-giving crystal stitched up his clothes and somehow got rid of the dirt. That man couldn't go on one minute of his life when he got dirty. A soft groan escaped her as she shifted, trying to ease her numbing butt. A soft clatter resonated through the temporary hollow tunnels and all head turned to Kirit.

Or rather, next to her.

She stanched up the fallen item from the ground quickly, preventing any eyes from landing on it and their mouths from asking too many questions. Unfortunately, one did see it.

"What was that?"

_'Shit.'_

Sighing, she replied, "What was what?"

"That," Vaan, undoubtedly, asked once again with fervor. "Y'know, the round thing that fell out of your bag."

The woman's jaw slacked slightly before pulling it taut, "I have no idea what you are talking about."

"Oh come on," he whined. "Are you paranoid or something?"

"Something like that."

The retort was met with a lunge from the young boy to her left, where she was concealing the object with her hand. Kirit quickly jumped on her feet and scooted back a few feet away. The mystery item was safely tucked away into her pocket along with her hands. The blond huffed before lunging again for the woman but his face met the floor. Picking his head up from the hard ground, Vaan looked around and found the woman standing a few meters away. Her hands were out of the pockets, balancing her for the moment. With an extra energy, Vaan got up and sprinted to the woman, the distance quickly closing between them.

Closer…

So close…

Now!

The pirate wannabe lunged for Kirit once only a couple feet was between them. His face once again made an unkind greeting to the railing as the woman moved unexpectedly.

Snapping his head to the woman behind him, unfazed, he shouted with exasperation, "How did you keep doing that?!"

Shaking her head as if she was daydreaming, "Doing what?"

"That! You moved too fast! No one can do it. Ever!"

"Apparently she can." Balthier came in between them and glared at the wore out boy, "and I suggest that we get going and then you can ask her whatever when we are out of here."

And so they did.

But little did they notice that the crystal dimmed to gray as Kirit passed it but returned to its sparkling orange glory when she left the area. There wasn't much in the next space, only a few fake Mimic treasures and some real ones. Vaan had discovered that the fake ones would pop open from their disguise and it scared the shit out of him the first time. Though they had to kill one Battery Mimic before moving on to a very large area. Vaan gawked at the cavern's height and width but snapped out of it after a couple of seconds. Kirit looked around in the darkness and noticed that there were some lit lamps on the other side of the… lake, as she called it, which had some green stuff floating on it. There were some fireflies skimming the water while blinking on and off slowly and gently. An unidentifiable scent rode the air but no one paid any attention to it as they went off (again) to find the Mimic. Kirit watched as the party of four ran to the left then she went to the right. Her eyes were greeted with five treasures.

_Five._

_Frickin'_

_Treasures._

Oh how the Gods were in her favor now. With a grin on her face that could rival a Dark Skeleton, the woman went to one of them and pressed her hand on the top. The chest popped open and revealed a faded bag. She grabbed it without a mere glance in it and went for the next four. There was some good stuff in those; some Gil, a Zwill Blade, and a small magicite of Ice. Nearing the last of the rusty treasures, the lights flickered dangerously before unexpectedly blacking out. It was very silent save for the electrical slurping of the energy from the pipes by the undefeated Mimic. Nothing was visible, not even the sparks from the hazardous pipes nor the gentle fireflies.

Pained screams ripped through the air consecutively, save for a certain Viera, of course.

"AAAH!"

And the last of the three was an octave higher and is drowning in a sea of darkness.

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**A/N: Your second chapter of **_**From Nabradia, With Love**_**, hopefully it was enjoyable. This chapter was six pages, excluding the A/N notes here and at the top. I also have a question: Do you like the flashbacks or do you think it should be omitted for the rest of this story? I'd like to know and why, thanks. Oh and... I just noticed that this chapter had less dialogue than I expected... Sorry if that irked you.**

**P.S.S - While playing the game again yesterday, I had discovered that the starfruits actually exist in the game! Only, it grows in the Mosophoran Highwaste not the Estersand. Just pretend that there is actually a caravan from the Estersand.**

**Again, if you spotted some typos, or are confused about a point in this chapter, review or send me a message, I'll fix/reply as soon as possible.**


	3. Broken Chains

**Hello, O' Clock . Nine here and reporting for duty, fanfic readers. This chapter was typed while I was very sick with a horrible disease called the Flu. I'm dramatic, I know, but you got to admit, the Flu is very… bleah. But not anymore, I'm feeling just fine now so you don't have to fuss.**

_**In this chapter, there is a new character but she will be introduced in a flashback. And yes, she **_**is**_** relevant to this story.**_

**Anyway, go and read this chapter that I've conjured for you guys (in much pain).**

**Chapter Title: **_**Chapter 2 **_**/ Broken Chains  
Description: Nearing the end of the Passage, the Party encountered a large problem near the exit.  
****Warning: Fighting scene, temporary character death, nothing big (to me at least)  
****Characters: Barheim Passage Party, Kirit, and Mercade  
****Disclaimer: All characters and settings in this story belongs to the creators who made this awesome game, except for my characters.**

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Now, when she said the water is cold, she meant it was _frickin' _cold. Kirit is now wading in the lake, having fallen in from a blow inflicted by-

"Goddamn Zombies," she growled with malice dripping through her teeth.

It was then an idea popped in her head and she sighed in irritation that she didn't realize it sooner. Reaching in her heavy black cloak underwater, she pulled out a glowing light blue stone. It was the piece of ice magicite from earlier. Droplets of green water covered the stone but was quickly melted away as it brightened a whole lot more. Despite the glowing that was hurting Kirit's eyes, it didn't brighten up the blackened cavern one bit.

With a exasperated yell, she screamed, "Go!"

As she said it, she threw the bright stone high up in the air. It was suspended midair as it crackled loudly to one pair of ears. The magicite of ice broke into pieces and dissipated throughout the cave to their targets. It was silent save for the two whistles that followed. The stone had found the targets; one was the undefeated Mimic and the other hidden Mimic was up and around the slope. Unheard to the others' ears, the ice flew across the area to their targets with an roar. It was silent as the clouds of ice wrapped themselves around the Mimics before hardening. Two loud explosions of ice breaking reached the woman's ear.

And then it was quiet once again.

Electricity crackled from above and Kirit looked up to see the sparks traveling haphazardly through the ancient wires to the lamps. The area brightened considerably, making everybody squint from the sudden event.

_'Oh shit'_ was the thought that ran by through their head as they were bestowed with a sight of Zombies spawned all over the place. The rotting fleshes, A.K.A. dead people, paused in their actions of mauling the party to look up at the light that suddenly appeared. Some of them groaned in confusion and some were… limping in circles, trying to stop the confusion inflicted by the brightness. A pair was off to the side and they were confusing one other as their enemy, slapping each other repeatedly before one of them fell. The victorious one then kept hitting itself before dropping dead… permanently.

"Use Phoenix Downs!" The wounded party whipped their heads to where Kirit is.

Technically, _was_.

It seems that the woman fell into the freezing water once again as she slipped on the slippery broken platform. A moment passed before a hand broke through the water and grasped the railing. A human body encased in a drenched cloak emerged from underneath and an angry aura emitted from her. As amusing the sight was, the party scrambled for any available Phoenix Downs they had before the confusing Zombie regained their bearings.

Vaan, unfortunately, had none but he went to the nearest Zombie and started hacking it. Basch pulled out one white plume and threw it to the one in front of him. It stared dumbly at the feather on its nose before collapsing in a small pile of glitters, shrieking all the while. It was then the former Captain started beating down the nearest Zombies as fast as he could. Fran sported a few gashes and stood off to the side, sending arrows through the air and hitting the Zombies in the critical points. Balthier looked worse for wear; his white shirt was torn in many places, a buckle on his vest was broken, and his forehead is bleeding. Despite all the blood covering his right eye, he was shooting with an incredible accuracy.

_'Are you serious?' _Kirit stared incredulously at the group. _'Only Basch have a Phoenix Down?'_

With a groan and a heave to move her still drenched cloak, Kirit joined into the fray which had a fairly few Zombies left. Pulling out the Zwill Blade, having lost her pole into the dark abyss of a water, Kirit hacked down the final Zombie. As it finally fell, a groan escaped Kirit, causing all weary eyes to stare at her. When she shifted, a certain Viera noticed that a rather large spot on her cloak had a red tinge to it.

With a gasp, she spoke in a soft voice, "Blood."

Just as she said it, Kirit began to stumble despite her sword sticking into the ground. She fell to her knees, knuckles white from gripping the sword so hard. With her long legs, Fran strode quickly to Kirit's side and caught her before she collapsed. Her heart made no beat, her eyes were dull…

And she is not breathing.

-----

_"You can't do this to me!"_

_That was all the girl heard before the doors slammed shut, erasing her sight of the horrible man being dragged away by a couple of Imperial soldiers. Her jaws slacked open at the fact that she is now free._

Free.

_"What is your name?"_

_At the sound of the question, she turned to face the healthy King and the four Judges behind his throne. They were all staring at her expectantly, making her feel like wanting to blend in the chair and disappear… forever._

_"U-um, I don't know," she meekly answered, earning a few gasps. "I… I guess I forgot."_

_"My lord!"_

_All heads turned to the double doors that banged open and the Judge who ran through it. He was holding a tan folder that was thick and full of miscellaneous colored paper._

_Bowing down to the King, he held the folder up and spoke, "This folder was found in Doctor Elton's file cabinet, my lord. It contains everything about her."_

_Now, all eyes glanced at the King, who remained silent with a thoughtful look on his face. A Judge on his right exclaimed a quiet 'Oh!' and leaned down to whisper into the majesty's ear. Whatever the idea was, he seemed to agree with it as his eyes widened and nodded. The same Judge straightened and said in a feminine voice:_

_"Why don't we let Judge Zecht here-" At this, she gestured to the Judge that was holding the papers and the said Judge jerked at the sound of his title. "-read the files so that we may learn about you. That is, if it is okay with you."_

_"…" The girl pondered over it and, without any hesitancy, answered, "I'll like to know things about myself once again, if you will please."_

_Zecht hummed at her sudden choice of words but proceeded to read the thick papers, "Ahem," he coughed after this but regained his posture, "Mercade, five of age-"_

_"Nine," 'Mercade' interjected._

_"… Nine. Okay, where was I? Here. Born of Nabradian parents, have light brown hair and grey eyes - My lord?"_

_The King looked up at one of his many titles and asked, "Yes?"_

_"I… I think this file is wrong. The paper says that Mercade here have brown hair but… it's white."_

_"Do you think a child would be born with white hair? I'm of Nabradian blood. My family all have white hair when they age… But-but he _made_ my hair turn white earlier by stressing me out… and I would like a bed right now," the girl explained to the Judge with a frown on her face and whispered the last._

_Unfortunately for her, everybody heard it and they were filled with hatred for the 'Doctor' that harmed this little girl. The King stared hard at her and came to notice the faint black circles under her eyes and the way she swayed._

_"Why don't you get some sleep and-" Mercade fell down onto the floor and promptly fell asleep. "…Poor thing."_

_Silence._

_"She is set for Rabanastre."_

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**A/N: So… What do you think? I think it was too confusing to me. Hmm… I think my friend likes it. (She's reading this over my shoulder) The flashback was actually the hardest part to write… I wonder why. Oh well, I hope you enjoyed it.**

**Again, if you spotted some typos, or are confused about a point in this chapter, review or send me a message, I'll fix/reply as soon as possible.**


	4. Awakening

…

**DUN'T KILL ME! *cowers* I was VERY busy with school lately, what with the teachers handing out lots of assignments. That and the final exams are in three weeks. ._.**

**Anyway, I hope you enjoyed the previous chapter and I REALLY hope that this chapter will make up for the shortness the second one had. I was also working on other stories in order to keep my writer's block away. It was successful.**

**AND PLEASE RE-READ CHAPTER 2, NEAR THE ENDING, I HAVE MADE AN IMPORTANT CHANGE IN THERE. PLEASE RE-READ IT! THANK YOU! (P.S. - you don't **_**have**_** to re-read the entire thing, only the flashback.)**

**Chapter Title****: **_**Chapter 3 **_**/ Awakening  
****Description****: Lady Gaia must be on their side today but something new about Kirit is revealed.  
****Warning****: Fighting scene, some curses, nothing big (to me at least)  
****Characters****: Barheim Passage Party, Kirit, and Mercade  
****Disclaimer****: All characters and settings in this story belongs to the creators who made this awesome game, except for my characters.**

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_"So… you said you hunt?"_

_The owner of the voice glanced down to the girl next to him. Grey eyes looked up to him before ascending back on the dirty path._

_"Yes," she finally replied. "One of my hunts are on the way to the Highwaste."_

_"WHAT?!"_

_The merchant almost fell off his Chocobo and the fact that it is now squawking and veering off path didn't help at all. Once he got the Chocobo clamed down, all he got was a hard glare and stare from the Chocobo and the girl, respectively. With a cough and a small 'sorry' (though for the Chocobo, it took lots of Gysahl Greens), they continued their venture. The male chanced another glance at the girl and stared._

_And stared._

_"How the fuck can you wield that thing?" The elder remarked, forgetting that the girl was young and wasn't to be cursed in front of._

_The pole that rested on her back was more than twice her size and it looked heavy. Very heavy. It was brown but it faded to tan toward the top. The merchant had observed how she fought with it. First she would grasp the middle (near the bottom) and swing it around to the front, hitting the fiend. Second, she would jump more than two feet and slam the side down onto the monster's head, causing a great headache for the creature. Recover and repeat from this point on. Once it fell, (this part was the confusing part for the merchant) the girl would act like nothing happened and return it on her back._

_"It's hollow," the girl answered. "That's how I can hold it without wearing myself out."_

_"Oh," he mumbled, feeling stupid already now that he just noticed a hole traveling through the pole from the top to the bottom._

_Silence. As they treaded on, the young would beat down an occasional Python before taking whatever it had for good use. The male kept one eye on the road and the other on the girl, making sure that she doesn't get hurt badly. It was then he realized that for two weeks, he didn't know her name._

_"Hey!" He called out to the nameless girl, making her turn around. "What's your name?"_

_"…" She eyed him for a moment before calling back, "It's Mercade."_

-----

"Wha-…" Kirit mumbled, slowly rousing from her sleep.

As she blinked stupidly at the sparkling blue crystal in front of her, she felt a side of her abdomen was dry and itchy. Lifting a hand to find the cause of the itchiness, she felt something indeed coarse on her side. It was dried blood from her previous endeavors. As Kirit shifted around, she felt no pain, indicating it was healed by the crystal. She looked around to thank the party but they weren't in sight. A yell echoed through a tunnel to the front of her and she tensed. _What happened?_ She faintly noted that her cloak was discarded, torn and useless, leaving Kirit in her previously hidden garments. Her metal boots, reaching halfway up her shins, clinked on the railway as she stood up. Something big must be happening because her hair occasionally got ruffled by the breeze emitted from the tunnel. Another yell resounded and Kirit scrambled to the arch of the tunnel. What she was expecting wasn't supposed to be big. And metallic. And having four legs.

When she laid her eyes on the… metal thing, she felt her face become taut. It must be towering over twenty feet and it was glowing rainbow. Now when Kirit said 'rainbow', she didn't mean the soft pastel color you see on a sunny day after it rained. No, she meant a rainbow bright and electrifying enough to burn one's eyeballs. She wondered how Basch and Vaan can see anything when they were _that_ close to it. Vaan seemingly to have remembered Kirit's advice and was occasionally blasting it with Blizzard while standing at Basch's side to bring it down. Balthier was standing off to the side along with Fran, aiming at the beast with incredible accuracy.

"Nice of you to join us," Balthier remarked from across the room.

"Were you planning to leave me here?" She questioned as she appeared at his side, defending him from any powerful blow from one of the creature's legs.

"Wouldn't do for a leading man to leave a woman in a rundown mine, now would it?"

As ridiculous as that sounded, Kirit managed a small smile but that turned into a grimace as she blocked a hit from the thing. She groaned as her side screamed in pain as the wound reopened, leaking blood. She swayed on the spot, having lost enough blood already, but sucked it up and blocked yet another attack. The battle seemingly had ended as the giant Mimic swayed and collapsed on the side of the round room, its lights dimming to black. The tiny Mimics scrambled for shelter but their efforts were futile as many large blocks of stone collapsed on them, crushing them for good. Kirit groaned once again as she tried to run but she's running out of energy. More blocks fell and she felt herself forced to lean on a shoulder as the person dragged her, carefully but in a hurry, to get Kirit out of there. Her world spun and spiraled into a blur.

She blacked out.

AGAIN.

-----

Kirit once again found herself in the same predicament in the Passage, staring at a blue crystal on her back. The sand on the small plateau shifted as she sat up, hearing soft snorting to her right. Kirit sharply snapped her head to the spot and the two Seeq immediately shut up. One was leaking drool but he quickly slurped it back into his mouth. She slowly stood up, unnerving them with her stare, and looked around the clearing. Once again, the group isn't here. She again whipped her head to the two Seeq and one of them squealed as he fell backward off his seat.

In a soft voice, Kirit asked, "where did they go?"

The other Seeq, who was currently helping his friend get back up, dropped him (emitting another squeal) and pointed to the desert span. Kirit looked where his finger was pointing and it was aimed at a boulder, but he quickly moved his arm to the left. _Far_ to the left. To the south-eastern exit to Rabanstre.

-----

"But-"

"No buts, Vaan," Balthier interrupted, turning to meet the boy midway. "That woman is dangerous and it is best to leave her behind."

"Dangerous?" Vaan was in shock, he could not find anything in the woman that could be deemed fatal. "I don't think she's dangerous."

The two pirates (wannabe in Vaan's case) was drawn in a glaring contest before someone spoke up.

"We'd be going soon," the Viera softly brought up and successfully ended the heated contest.

"No, Vaan," the brunette interjected before the said boy could say anything else.

Vaan sighed and the three males walked on with the female trailing behind. Fran paused and turned her head to behind her, gazing pass the village to the towering walls of clay. Through that, a sharp wind whistled through and shook her hair. Blinking once from the pressure, Fran turned back and caught up with the men easily with her large strides.

-----

"Montblanc," a feminine voice called out just as the door closed behind her.

"Ah, Kirit!" The said moogle chirped and bounced on his spot on the railing, "You are back, kupo!"

Kirit lips were tugged at the corner at the sight before her but she repressed it. Kirit looked around the space and noticed that no one were here and she voiced the question.

"Kupo! They are all busy with many big marks, kupo!" Montblanc replied, "Don't you have any marks you want reported in? Kupo? "

"Yes, I do."

She knelt and waited for the moogle-boss to come downstairs before taking out a small brown book. Her clan primer. Every monster she had fought had been recorded here automatically by some magic even she doesn't know. She separated the cover from the first page and the individually numbered papers flipped to each important fiends she had felled.

"Kupo…" Montblanc stared in amazement as the pages flipped to the Mimic Queen, "Kupo! You want the rewards then?"

"…" Kirit squinted at the Mimic Queen and mumbled, "No…"

"Kupo?"

"No, Montblanc," Kirit spoke again in a clear voice. "There was one other with me. Vaan, I think, is his name. He's a newbie, probably a day old in this kind of stuff. Invited by Tomaj and approved by you, no doubt."

The boss nodded slowly, the pom waving slightly, as Kirit closed her book with a snap.

"How did you know, kupo?"

"Let just say that Vaan isn't humble with his clan primer," Kirit chuckled quietly at the memory of Vaan checking it every five minutes.

Both of them shared a quiet but comfortable silence but all was broken when Kirit heard the door's lock click. Turning her head to the door that was opened a gap but stopped its movement, Kirit could hear her hunter friends talking.

"I'm telling you, I did most of the work!"

"Nuh-uh, I did."

"Shut up, go inside. They are staring."

The female hunter sighed and turned back to Montblanc, everything going in slow motion. Kirit could see the individual strands of fur brush against each other as she ruffled his cheek. Hazelnut eyes slowly blinked, sliding down and back open. The door slowly creaking open inches by inches. And all of a sudden, time moved just like it had never been stopped.

"I'd best be going."

The moogle nodded once and she disappeared into a blur of whites just when the door slammed open and a Viera stormed in with a Seeq and Bangga in tow. The arguing pair immediately shut up as the Viera fixed both of them with a glare. Ktjn smelt something in the air and recognized it as someone familiar but said nothing as she met the eyes of her boss.

The shine was there once again just like a certain white haired hunter was never gone.

-----

Fran gasped and sniffed the air silently but no one else but a certain pirate saw it.

"What is it, Fran?" Balthier asked as she stood up, hands on the table.

"I need to go to the… ladies' room," she inclined her head as she left, leaving Balthier alone.

"I got to say that Viera is sharper then I expected," the voice startled Balthier but not enough to make him jump. Kirit separated herself from the shadows in a corner and sat down at where Fran was sitting. She leaned onto the table on her lower arms and spoke in a soft voice, "Look, I'm aware of you avoiding me. I have been seeing this… kind of clues here and there. And let me tell you one thing. I'm not planning on to rip you off or- or killing you and your partner. I'm only following you to be close to Vaan," Balthier quirked his eyebrow at this and Kirit smirked slightly. "Don't get me wrong. I'm few years his senior and he still have to work on his charm. The point is… I need to be close to someone Vaan will be tailing throughout this… event. Someone who Vaan wants to be. And that's you, Balthier."

Balthier tipped his drink to one side, watching it all the while as the light yellow liquid moved fluidly. He stopped just as the drink was about to spill and brought it up to his lips. He paused and stared at the woman who was awaiting an answer.

"As long as you don't rip me off."

He took a huge gulp, finishing his drink, and left the balcony.

Kirit sighed and asked just before Balthier was about to leave the tavern, "I'm allowed to kill you then?"

Balthier left but the wind from outside carried his last words to Kirit's ears.

"Leading men don't die."

-----

**A/N: Well, this is actually five pages long with size ten font. So… am I forgiven? I hope so. 'Cuz, I actually posted a **_**fourth**_** chapter that is actually longer than this. Enjoy the next one! The next will be moving a bit faster, I swear.**

…

**I like the ending. :d**

**Again, if you spotted my typos, or are confused about a point in this chapter, review or send me a message, I'll fix/reply as soon as possible.**


	5. Of Blue Hue

**As promised, here's the fourth chapter of **_**From Nabradia, With Love**_**! I hope you will really forgive me… even though I know you did. Hahaha! *cough* Erm… Anyway, enjoy!**

**Chapter Title****: **_**Chapter 4 **_**/ Of Blue Hue  
****Description****: After leaving the Sandsea and upgrading her getup, Kirit tails Vaan only to appear in a magicite-rich place.  
****Warning****: Fighting scene, nothing big (to me at least)  
****Characters****: Bhujerba Party, Kirit, and Mercade  
****Disclaimer****: All characters and settings in this story belongs to the creators who made this awesome game, except for my characters.**

-----

"What?"

"Kupo!" Montblanc chirped, "you get 300 gil!"

"For _that_?" Vaan exclaimed, he had never heard a reward so big for one slain. The slain of a Mimic Queen, that is. "Are you sure you are not confusing this for another mark?"

"The boss never make mistakes, kupo!"

Vaan stared incredulously at the moogle, wondering if it's a hoax. But Montblanc remained smiling as he looked onto the new hunter. Vaan looked around the main hall and all of the hunters were going about their activities. Ktjn was sitting in a corner, sharpening her arrows as Monid was talking to a Hume-child. A Nu Mou was giving Bansat a brief on his mark before he went off to find it. Various Seeq and Bangaa were also scattered about, talking to each other, making the room appear lively. Vaan sighed before starting for the door, 300 gil in hand, and exiting it. A soft breeze ruffled his hair and he heard a faint clicking on the pavement.

"You know…Montblanc," a voice spoke from Vaan's side, making him jump and turn into that direction. Kirit was amused by this but continued, "he's very resilient. He would just give whatever deems worthy for the mark and the effort you put in it. Even if you did little in a large group, he'd still give you lots. Believe me, I've had plenty of experience."

"Oh."

Silence. Kirit smirked. Vaan's eyes widened.

"You're a hunter too?!"

"Not in the open, Vaan," the elder sighed, pinching the bridge of her nose. She reached behind her, into a large tanned bag, and pulled out the old book she opened a while ago. She held the book at arm's length and explained, "being a hunter doesn't only give you privileges but an identity. An identity to be kept a secret, never in the open; only when you hunt and that alone."

"Oh," Vaan mumbled again. "No wonder Balthier was avoiding you…"

The little thief took this silence as a time to look over the woman more clearly in broad daylight. (The Barheim is not exactly a "bright" place, mind you.) The woman was slightly tanned but she still looked pale and that seriously clashed with her hair. Kirit's hair was bright white with hints of tan strands here and there. And it was bright enough to make her grey eyes stand out. Vaan was fascinated by those eyes; he had never saw that color before. The only colors he had seen was brown of every shade and black. The color grey was always dull to Vaan, seeing that the kind of grey he had been around was the pavement's stones in Rabanstre. But this was different. Her eyes practically sparkled and it could be a part of a rainbow's choices of colors if it wanted to. There was a thin ring of black that outlined just outside the irises. This gave her eyes more depth, more impression, more secrets.

"Take a picture, Vaan," Kirit smirked in amusement as the said pirate wannabe flushed red. "It lasts longer. Despite all the time we have, don't you have somewhere to go?"

Vaan was about to shake his head but he remembered one thing, "well, I was going to see Old Dalan…"

"Ah, the old man," Kirit hummed in thought, scratching her cheek with a finger. "What a coincidence, I was going to see him too. I need to get something from him… shall we?"

Kirit gestured to the small bridge that led to the East End and one of the many doors of Lowtown.

-----

"Something's on your mind, Vaan?" Kirit questioned the said boy.

The blond thief was staring at the sword he got from Dalan, the Sword of the Order. When Kirit said _staring_, she meant the kind where the boy would look at it but his mind would be off somewhere else. After a minute, the woman had to voice the question again to make the boy react.

"Huh? Oh… nothing," Vaan hastily replied. "Just thinking."

Kirit nodded and averted her eyes back to the span of Lowtown, her subconscious not buying the story. After a few more turns, they came to a place where lots of wooden crates were stacked on top of each other to form a little pathway to the door in the back. A man sat nearby stopped them from getting in.

"You can't go in there," he said, shaking his head a little.

"I got to deliver this sword to this Azelas," Vaan showed the guy the sword and he hummed in thought.

"And who told you this?"

"Old Dalan. He said to give this to him personally."

The man sighed and chuckled, "nothing ever go past that Dalan, eh? Alright, go on in." He held up a hand just as Vaan entered, "but you, missy, have to stay out."

Kirit scoffed at the little nickname but backed away from the door nonetheless, sitting against the hard wall just around the corner. It took her five full minutes to find a comfortable spot against the jutting wall but all that effort went to waste just when two men rounded into her sight.

Vaan and Basch.

She got up, scraping her back a bit, and spoke, "Vaan. Basch."

"Oh, pardon. I didn't see you there," Basch apologized.

"It's okay. I'm the one who chose to sit here. Oh, and Vaan-" She turned to the said boy and he did the same. "-I forgot to get something from Old Dalan, I'll meet you two at the Sandsea, alright?"

"Okay."

Kirit waved as she ran in the direction of the man's house as the two other walked to the surface. After passing into the South Sprawl, Kirit found it to be an easy fest getting to the place. Some children were huddled near a pillar, telling each other stories of sky pirates. Kirit recognized one of them as Kytes. She was introduced to Kytes as she entered Migelo's place when he was taking watch while the owner was gone. The hunter averted her gaze and opened the door to be greeted by a familiar voice.

"Ah, the wilted flower returns," Dalan spoke with a all-knowing twinkle in his eye. "And for something old and fitting, I suppose?"

"Again," Kirit sighed in exasperation. "I have no idea how you can know things such like that when you never venture out of here."

"An old man have his ways," was the sharp reply.

"Mmhm…"

Kirit nodded as Dalan told a little boy to get a brown bundle from behind the curtain he sat in front of. A few moment passed and the Dalmascan boy returned, and in his arms; a brown package double cross-tied with wicker. He handed it to Old Dalan and he, in turn, gave it to Kirit. The package felt light in her hands but she knew it contained the most important accessories in her opinion. She asked if she could borrow the backroom to change and the old man granted her permission. As she parted the curtain, the two couples in there saw her need and walked out to give her a bit of privacy. Kirit nodded to show her thanks and both faces smiled before they disappeared on the other side of the curtain. A soft chair and a long mirror were in the room, just what she needed. Kirit sighed, opened the package, and pulled out every object only to lay them on the chair in order. Looking at every cloth and armor, Kirit went about to changing.

-----

Once again, the old mirror has its uses. Kirit nodded as she observed herself in the said mirror, her reflection copying her. Her heavy, shin-high boots were replaced with a knee-high, light boots. The new one was metal as well but it was lighter and had cloth on the inside to prevent any injuries. On her lower arms, she also had guards that reached just below her elbows and past her first sets of knuckles. Her too small shirt was now a comfortable one. The sleeves reached her mid-upper arms and had an intricate design along the hem. The shirt hugged her form (it was NOT good idea to fight loose) but didn't show much as the neckline was square. Her old, frayed shorts was replaced with loose-but-not-too-loose pants that reached just below her knees. Again, there were an intricate design along the hem and up the sides to her hip. The color scheme was light tan being the main and bold brown for the designs. There was hints of gold at some but it was faded. The hems was faded green and made the designs pop out more.

Kirit was satisfied at the new and comfortable look. Not too fancy but not too sloppy either; she would not stand out either way. She tested the weight by swinging her limbs around. Not too heavy to slow her down and not too light to prevent deep wounds.

"Perfect."

Looking at the last item on the small chair, she picked it up and sheathed it on her left hip. A small sword of the color of deep red, her Blood Sword from her late brother. With the changing done, Kirit stepped out of the backroom and the couple from before went back in. She bade her farewell to the old man and set out for the Sandsea.

As she stepped out of Old Dalan's house, the band of kids from before were gone. She swore she heard giggling and a young voice shouting somewhere in the Lowtown. Kirit raised an eyebrow as she entered the North Sprawl and saw an older girl shouting at the band of kids to 'focus or you won't become sky pirates!'. Kirit chuckled at the sight and opened a door that she used to get down with Vaan a moment ago. Bright light hit her eyes the minute she stepped out into the sun-existent world but brushed it off and went to her left. When she was nearing the Sandsea, she saw a glimpse of blond hair running around a corner and disappearing. Kirit wondered why Vaan would run off like that before a familiar voice jarred her out of her thoughts.

"He's buying a better weapon," Basch walked beside her.

"For what?"

"Oh, pardon. You weren't in there when we talked about it…" Basch looked at the woman a few moment more before explaining, "Penelo, Vaan's best friend, had been kidnapped by this Ba'Gamnan and was taken to the mines in Bhujerba. Vaan wanted to bring her back and Balthier will take us there."

"Oh?" Kirit was indeed surprised by that. Balthier offering to fly them there? She voiced the question and Basch replied,

"I know. I am confused too. Ba'Gamnan is a bounty hunter and he want Balthier's head and yet, he still will go for that stone."

"Stone?"

"It's a long story," Balthier appeared at Kirit's other side with Fran behind him. "We are going to the Aerodome. Bring what you need quickly, I'd rather to get that handkerchief back with little tears."

"Afraid the salt would shrink it?" Kirit teased lightly as Balthier turned.

"Hardly."

He left with his partner at his side and Basch stood stiffly at Kirit's as they watched the sky pirates disappear around the corner. A few minutes passed and Kirit shifted to her another foot.

"So…" She spoke, "Basch, what are you in this for?"

"What do you mean?" Basch looked at Kirit and the she did the same.

"Well. Vaan want to save Penelo, Balthier and Fran wants that stone, whatever it was, and I'm going because I need to keep a watch on Vaan. But what about you, Basch? Why are you going?"

"An audience with the Marquis," was his reply.

Kirit hummed in understanding and started to walk for the Aerodome with the former captain trailing behind.

-----

"Ah, Vaan," Balthier smirked. "Took you long enough."

"S-sorry," the said boy gasped for air. He had seemingly ran to get here in a hurry. "I… I was buying some stuff."

Balthier cocked an eyebrow. "Stuff? It better be worth my time."

The little thief nodded and bent over to put his hands on his knees, still gasping for air. Balthier shifted to his other foot and Vaan looked up from his crouched position, light brown eyes connected with Kirit's eyes. Kirit looked in deep and realized that the 'stuff' were not potions or ethers but in fact were Marks. The female hunter nodded in understanding and approval in reference that Vaan had kept it a secret.

Vaan sighed and took a gulp of air before straightening, "so… where are we heading?"

Kirit groaned once she finally realized that Vaan also need to work on his _acting_ skills. Balthier cocked an eyebrow (he seems to like doing that) and replied.

"Bhujerba. You ever heard of the place, Vaan?" A shake of his head and Balthier explained with a sigh, "It's a skycity that is rich with magicites in their mines, the Lhusu Mines. I'm shocked that as much you steal, you haven't heard of the place. Don't get out much, eh, Vaan?"

Vaan's face pulled a scowl-slash-pout, which doesn't work on the boy _at all_, before the group walked to the gate that led to many airships. One of them being Balthier's. They stuck to the right side of the wall and when Balthier rounded into a smaller hallway, the rest did the same. After a while, they finally came to the ship as they turned left into a private hangar."

"This is the _Strahl_," Balthier placed his hands on his hip and looked back to Vaan. "She airship enough for you?"

There was no reply as Vaan pushed his way through to get a better look. Kirit stared at the airship as it glowed under the sun and all went quiet to Kirit. She heard a faint exclaim from Vaan but it was a blur to the hunter. A hand placed itself on her shoulder and she jumped, all sounds flooding into her ears. She looked up and saw Basch and his hand gripped her shoulder, asking for if she was okay. She nodded and the hand fell to its master's side. The party entered the _Strahl_ and Balthier led them to the cockpit where all of them sat down with the exception of Vaan. He was awing over Fran's shoulder but moved away to Balthier's once she turned to look at him. Kirit sat at the back on Fran's side and skimmed her eyes over the various buttons on the wall. She faintly heard Balthier and Basch conversing about Bhujerba and its ruler. Balthier pressed some switches and other gadgets Vaan had little knowledge of before speaking.

"Right, time to fly," Basch and Vaan sat down in their seats. "And no wagging tongues or you're like to bite them off."

Kirit felt a familiar feeling wash over her as the _Strahl_ slowly started up and hovered in the air for a moment before flying higher. She closed her eyes and a black and white version of the airship's interior came into her mind. She recognized the ship from before but its name disappeared as soon as she realized it. Kirit subconsciously stepped out the cockpit and walked a few flights down where she saw a door with a circular window near the top. It was glowing blue and the door faded as she stepped through it, into the room. There, an engine holding a skystone, glowing blue and healthy. Kirit took no risk and went closer to the stone to inspect it before deciding that it _is_ healthy. Kirit opened her eyes and found herself back in the cockpit like nothing had happened. She looked out the window between the two sky pirates and saw the skycity coming into a close. They are here.

Bhujerba.

-----

color: light green

size: small, a fragment maybe

where discovered: given by Elton

function:

_Mercade stopped writing and looked up to inspect the stone she held in her hand. She sighed and felt a little drowsy but kept awake for her life's sake. She groaned as her stomach rumbled in need for food and stood up. Just because she was hungry or tired doesn't mean she can't stop working and take a break every once in a while. Walking around her table, Mercade went in her bathroom and flicked on the light. The sudden brightness stung her eyes and she clenched them until she became less sensitive to it. She slowly popped each open and blinked rapidly to get rid of the large spot in the middle of her vision. She scratched her head and looked in a mirror._

_She almost screamed at the sight._

_Her eyes had heavy black circles around them from lack of sleep. Her hair looked messy and dirty, making her light tan hair look brown. She groaned and turned on the sink, plugging the drainer. She waited for it to fill halfway and turned off the water's flow. Mercade held the sink's sides and dunked her head in the water top first. After making sure that she doesn't lose her grip, she let go one hand and moved the water to where her hair wasn't wet. She washed it thoroughly without the help of a shampoo and conditioner and dried her hair with a small towel on a rack near the sink. She shook her head like a dog to get the excess water out and her hair unconsciously moved to her left, making it look like she had just used the hairdryer in one direction for a long time. Mercade looked in the mirror and gasped, eyes wide in shock. She lifted one hand and touched that clump of grey hair near her forehead. She did what a six years old girl would do in the situation; panic and think:_

_'_I'm getting old_.'_

_-----_

**A/N: So… what do you think? The ending was supposed to be funny, I think. She's only six and she haven't gotten the concept of why her hair's turning white.**

**---I'M SO SORRY! This chapter and 2 & 3 was resubmitted due to a HUGE error. I hope you will all forgive me!---**


End file.
